![]() Variety is the name of the game for the color of these kitties. The latter is likely a holdover from cold climate ancestors who may have used the trait as a kind of snowshoe or even desert cats who used similar tufts to stay stable on the sand. They may also have ear tufts, as well as tufts on the bottom of their paws. They can sometimes sport fancy neck ruffs, too. The Domestic Longhairs’ long coat is generally two to six inches long. Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen, you get the drift. The one thing that all Domestic Longhairs share, besides their somewhat generic name, is that long beautiful hair. ![]() The mixed ancestry of Domestic Longhair cats means they present an entire rainbow’s worth of colors, as well as the physical traits and characteristics of a whole cat menagerie. Domestic Longhair Traits: Typically Atypical But after a life of great renown and global politics, Humphrey was retired to a quiet country home where he lived to a ripe old age of 18.Īfter reading about Humphrey’s story, you may be wondering, “How long do Domestic Longhair cats live?” The average lifespan for these felines is around 12-18 years. Humphrey attended to 10 Downing Street during three prime ministers’ residency, and he was loved by both the public and the press. ![]() Humphrey was said to be really good at his job, and the British government paid for his food for the equivalent of $200 a year. Shortly after being found, Humphrey was promoted from area stray to “Mouser to the Cabinet Office.” The title was apparently well-earned. He must have charmed the governing elite. This black and white phenom was found as a stray next to the British Prime Minister’s private residence, 10 Downing Street, when he was just one-year-old. One of the most famous Domestic Longhairs is a former London street cat turned political ambassador named Humphrey. Others continued to splash around in their vast gene pool, creating the fantastic longhaired varieties seen on our shores today. Some of these cats may have differentiated, becoming the much-loved Maine Coon breed. Whereas the church had once banned them, the cats worked their way back into a beneficial relationship with people.ĭomestic Longhairs would later make it to the shores of America as ship’s cats. Because of their fine mousing skills, they helped control the rat population that carried the disease-spreading fleas. It turns out it’s a good thing they did.Īs the plague swept across Europe in the mid-1600s, Domestic Longhairs proved useful. ![]() It’s thought that their presence in Europe during that time was likely due to soldiers who returned from the Crusades with longhaired cats. They were first documented in Italy around the middle of the 16th century. While humans would eventually breed longhaired cats to have traits like those seen in today’s modern Persians and Russian Blues, the scrappy Domestic Longhair persisted. People once thought that Pallas cats bred with domestic cats to create longhairs, but this idea was later refuted. The meme-able and reclusive internet darling called the Pallas cat lives in the wild in Central Asia and sports long, fluffy hair (and an adorable grumpy face). In the northern reaches of Russia, Iran, and Turkey, longhaired cats’ luxurious coats offered excellent protection from the weather. Still, it’s thought that the recessive gene for long hair was naturally selected in cat populations hanging out in colder climates. The ultimate origin of the Domestic Longhair is based on speculation. However, if the shorthaired offspring were to mate with each other, a handful of longhaired kittens might be born. That means the result of a shorthaired cat mating with a longhaired will only be shorthaired kittens. The gene carrying the long hair trait in cats is recessive. Getting to know the history of the Domestic Longhaired means getting to know their genes. The majestic Norwegian Forest cat is classified as a Domestic Longhair cat. That’s a fact that has made them the second most popular housecat in the United States, the most popular being their partners in genetic-diversity, the Domestic Shorthair. They have plenty to help them stand out from the crowd. The lineage of a Domestic Longhair cat, on the other hand, is shrouded in mystery.īut that doesn’t mean these highly-varied, longhaired, mixed-breed kitties aren’t unique. The American Longhair cat has a distinct family tree that people pruned, making it much easier to trace their lineage. Please do not get them confused with their purebred American cousins, the American Longhair cat. They are a product of willy-nilly cat pairings a typical Felis silvestris catus, but with flowing locks, arrived on the scene without the guiding hand of Homo sapiens. In other words, Domestic Longhairs are breed-less. One of the most remarkable traits of the Domestic Longhair cat is that they are typical cats with long hair.
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